Yreka High boys varsity basketball preview: Miners looking to improve this season

Monday

Dec 3, 2012 at 2:26 PMDec 3, 2012 at 3:34 PM

Bill Choy

Things can only go up for the Yreka Miners boys varsity basketball team this season.After a 5-21 record last season and going 0-8 in league play, fifth year head coach Christian Birch likes the potential of this year's group."Oh yeah, definitely," Birch said when he was asked if he believes the team will fare better this season. "I think they can compete in every game and give teams problems. Last year we didn't compete well."There is only one returning starter from last season in senior forward Tyler Johnson, who led the team in scoring last year with around 10 points per game and was named the team MVP. Besides being a solid scorer he's also a good rebounder and can drive to the basket well, Birch said.Birch likes the group of juniors coming up and said the junior varsity team last year showed a lot of potential and believes they will be key contributors. He is high on sophomore point guard Tyler Currie, who Birch said should be a key contributor for the Miners varsity squad."He's a good basketball player," he said. "He's just got good basketball sense and has a high basketball IQ."Yreka opened the season at the 58th Annual Yreka Miners Invitational Basketball Tournament, which began on Thursday and concluded on Saturday.The Miners went 1-2 and downed Del Norte 50-48 in the seventh place game on Saturday. In that contest, Currie went off for 28 points, including making the game-winning free throw with less than a second left.Johnson is excited with the potential he sees from this year's team and said the chemistry and the way the team works together has been solid this season."We flow together well as a team" he said.Another player Birch believes should contribute is senior post player David Sellens III, who did not play basketball last season. At 6 feet 5 inches and 250 pounds Birch believes his size and athletic ability will help the squad. While he is still "rusty," the potential is certainly there for him to be a force for the Miners, Birch said. With only a limited number of practices before the season began on Thursday, Birch said before the season began that he was trying to quickly figure out who can help the squad this season and believes a number of other players can step in and help out."I've got a deep team this year," Birch said. "I think they are all going to contribute."This year's motto for the squad, which is already on team T-shirts is "84-50" which is the length of the basketball court. Birch wants to empathize to the squad the importance to always play hard on both ends of the court the entire game and to give maximum effort the entire contest.This season, the team is planning to press more on defense. Birch believes this should help get opponents out of their rhythm and be a great benefit to the Miners.Birch admitted that his squad is on the small size which could be a challenge against bigger teams, but he believes they have a competitive nature which should help them on the court. While the Northern Athletic League will be very tough again this year Birch is hopeful the squad will be a handful for all of its opponents. Tonight, Yreka host Lost River at home starting at 7:30 p.m. Starting on Thursday, the Miners will play in a three-day tournament in Mount Shasta.